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What is a good major or background to have if you are planning on going into home loans or real estate #Fall25?

I am a college student who is going to school for business but am not sure if I should go into more of a math route if I plan on going into real estate

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Sean’s Answer

Thanks for your question Eduardo. Even if you go into real estate you will need math skills in all areas of business both in practice and in education. Most business degrees will include some form of a statistics class which often requires geometry, algebra, and even calculus. Courses in finance, economics, and accounting all use various mathematical calculations. And of course since business ultimately deals in money, basic math will be needed. Much of the calculations in real estate will involve percentages, e.g. commission rate, loan to value ratios, interest rates, and so on. Market studies will also reference results from studies that use math to get their findings, e.g. population density, resale value trends, rates of return, etc. A solid background in business math will help you in your day-to-day career but will also be foundational should you decide to go on to graduate school for an MBA. Entrance exams, while not always required, have sections on mathematical skills and MBA courses in finance and statistics will be heavily math oriented. In short, you can't go wrong having at least foundational math courses like algebra and calculus, but at the barest minimum you will need an understanding of fundamentals around fractions, percentages, statistics, and interest rates. You don't have to be a math major or genius, but a solid background in core mathematical skills will help you be more informed, insightful, and successful. Good luck in your career.
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Wong’s Answer

Hi Eduardo. Since you are already studying business, you're off to a strong start as business provides a great foundation for understanding finance, marketing, and management, all of which are essential in real estate. If your school offers a concentration or elective courses in real estate, finance, or economics, those would be especially helpful because they connect directly to the real estate industry.

If you are wondering whether to focus more on math, it really depends on which part of real estate you want to work in. If you are interested in home loans, property investments, or anything involving lending and finance, then taking math-related courses can be very useful. Classes in accounting, statistics, and finance can teach you how to calculate mortgage payments, understand interest rates, and analyze property values. These skills are important for jobs like mortgage loan officer or real estate financial analyst.

A background in economics can also help you understand how things like inflation, market trends, and interest rates affect property prices and the housing market overall.

However, if you are more drawn to the sales or management side of real estate, a focus on business and marketing may be a better fit. Real estate sales requires strong communication, networking, and negotiation skills. Courses in marketing, communications, and entrepreneurship can help you learn how to attract clients, build relationships, and eventually manage your own real estate business.
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Michelle’s Answer

Hello, Eduardo !

When thinking of the awesome career of Real Estate, you can consider that you'd be selling residential homes, land, commercial space and managing rental apartments. In California, you can actually obtain your Bachelors Degree in Real Estate which I would suggest may be a very good path as the courses would be geared to your specific career.

The colleges in your Sunshine State that offer a specific path for Real Estate are: California State University, Northridge for a Bachelors Degree in Real Estate, California State University, Fullerton for a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a concentration in real estate, covering real estate theory, finance, law, and marketing., The University of San Diego offers a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a concentration in real estate, and it is recognized as one of the top programs in the state. Pepperdine University offers a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a concentration in real estate. Columbia College provides a Bachelor's degree in Real Estate Management, available through online or on site studies. If you mean real estate development, the University of Southern California offers a Bachelor of Science in Real Estate Development, which is a specialized program focused on development, finance, urban planning, and public policy, it is distinct from a general real estate major. Now that you know where the focused programs are, you can decide if you want to transfer and get a targeted degree for your career.

The actual courses you'd have for real estate varies at the different colleges. You would take what courses are required for the degree. For instance, USC considers the foundational courses to be accounting, economics, and business finance. The core courses would be Real Estate principles, financial analysis, market analysis, land use policy, urban design, and the history of cities, with specific courses including Real Estate Development Fundamentals. Getting a full understanding for real estate goes further than just math.

In order to become a loan officer in California you can see the requirements for your state in a link I left for you below.

I hope this helps for your continued exploring of what is needed for your chosen careers !

Michelle recommends the following next steps:

Information on how to become a Loan Officer in CA https://www.morty.com/resources/loan-officers/becoming-a-loan-officer-in-california
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